Boston Marathon Bombing Victim Takes First Steps

Less than three months since this photo was taken in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, the man being carried in the photograph is walking again, despite losing both of his legs.

Jeff Bauman was standing not far from one of the backpacks left behind by the bombers near the finish line of the marathon. Bauman was there waiting for his girlfriend to finish the race when the bomb inside the bag detonated. The blast tore through both of his legs, and he had emergency amputation surgery performed on both of his legs. Later he underwent a second, more thorough amputation surgery.

Thanks to support from the Wiggle Your Toes Foundation, and a personal fundraising campaign, Bauman was able to get prosthetic legs, which cost over $100,000 each. Bauman's personal fundraising campaign has almost raised $800,000.

After months of physical therapy, Bauman, who has worked ceaselessly and insists on looking to the future rather than the past, took his first steps with his new legs recently. He plans to go back to his job at Costco, once he is rehabilitated. “You only look forward. I had a lot to live for before, and I've got a lot to live for now," Bauman has said. Bravo, Jeff!